Face Painting line orginization & etiquette

[Cubby T. Clown & Cuddles]

I while back I was browsing through some web sites and came across some rules that someone posted at the beginning of their face painting line. Of course, now that I want to see them again, I can't find them.

The rules included something along the lines of:
1. Please have a clean face (a clean-up station was provided with baby wipes)
2. Please know which design you want before you get into the artist's chair (a board with available designs was on display)
3. Each face takes approx. 3 - 5 minutes to complete, please be patient and judge your waiting time accordingly.
4. Good manners while waiting in line are appreciated!
Thank You!

Do any of you use these types of rules or something similar?

Thanks in advance for your input!

~Cuddles~

[Fitzwilly]

I don't, but then I usually only do face painting at birthday parties and smaller company events. If I was doing festivals or really large corporate events than I would think about it.

[Markie]

I don't have posted rules but I've told kids to go to the back of the line and sent kids away for dirty faces...

If I tell a kid to go wash their face I do it quietly, I laugh about it and make it funny, and I give them a sticker to skip the line when they get back (I have "skip the line" stickers I use very rarely - a dirty face or a kid who is near the front and really obviously needs to go to the bathroom).

I don't make them pre-pick designs but if they say they need to think I'll go ahead and take the next kid in line and tell them nicely they can think about it while I paint the next kid - this is never a big deal. I don't make them pre-pick because often they (well, girls really - some boys too) will want to talk with me before I paint their face about what they want.

For me the most fun are the ones who haven't picked a design and tell me to just do whatever. It always ends up being the coolest and then everyone wants the exact same "whatever" LOL...

I would *not* personally provide baby wipes. If I send a kid away it's their responsibility to figure out how they're going to clean their face. Baby wipes are NOT made for facial skin and I do *NOT* want to be liable for an allergy from use of product outside it's labeling. Plain and simple.

[bugaboo the clown]

Another clown in my area had a clever number system she used. That way families could just hang out and not stand in line.

On a side note I really like your website Markie.

[Cubby T. Clown & Cuddles]

Hmmm... Markie, I could not find anywhere on my baby wipes that indicated they could only be used on baby bottoms. I asked several nurses at the hospital where I work and they had never heard that wipes should not be used on faces. All of the mothers in my department have used the wipes for faces as well.

There is a Huggies commercial that clearly shows wipes being used to clean hands and faces.

I suspect that if a child's face is too sensitive for baby wipes then it is probably too sensitive for face painting products as well.

Ideally, I prefer to be able to take my time with each child helping them picking out their designs and painting their faces. I prefer not to be rushed. However, there are the occasional events where I may be asked to paint 20 or more faces. (Last year we were hired to perform at the local county fair. Between shows we were allowed to earn extra income by painting faces. I often painted non-stop, for 2 - 3 hours.) In those instances I find it best to do everything I can to help move the line along as quickly as possible.

To ask a child to leave the line to wash his face after he has been waiting 15-20 minutes or more is frustrating for the child and has the potential to make for angry parents - even with a fast pass ticket. A sign at the beginning of the line helps to "set the stage" for what is to come. First the child gets cleaned up, then, while he waits, he can view samples of my work on a board filled with pictures of painted faces. By the time he gets to me he usually knows which face he wants - it is the rare child who doesn't.

Assembly line painting is not the best of circumstances but if the child is prepared by the time he gets to me them I can move the line quickly and still give the child the attention he deserves.

~Cuddles~

[Markie]

It's not that they say NOT to, it's that they're not specifically labeled for it. Baby wipes are great for tons of things, including cleaning faces.

But they can irritate sensitive skin... And they are harsher than face painting makeup.

Again, it's not that they're bad. It's just that they can be irritating to some kids with very sensitive skin so I wouldn't provide them.

Am I being way over-cautious on this? Absolutely.